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I hope the curtain rises again at The Empire and we get to find out what happens next for Jack and Grace and the whole cast. Jack Treadwell is an WW1 army veteran and manages to find himself a job at The Empire Theatre which is on the verge of being bought out by a rival theatre owner. Secrets are uncovered, and with every book set in theatreland, despite all the wrangling, the show must, and does go on. But it reeks of the 1920s, when excess was what everyone wanted, to escape from the horrors of the previous decade.
Michael Ball to tour the UK in 2024 with On With The Show Michael Ball to tour the UK in 2024 with On With The Show
Set between the wars in the 1920s this has the glamour and glitz of the music hall and variety shows. Jack, whose open and friendly manner has charmed most of the people he’s come into contact with, and Grace are determined to do everything they can to keep the Empire up and running. This will include fans of musical star Michael Ball and also anyone who might enjoy an undemanding but gripping page turner set in the world of theatre. I especially warmed to Grace and lady Lilian and of course there has to be a baddie too, but the real magic lies in the theatre itself.
I really didn't know what to expect when I first saw this book, and I only glanced at the synopsis to know it was one I wanted to read. The characters have depth but there are a lot of them – there is a list at the beginning to help, I found I had to reread the first couple of chapters to sort everyone.
The Empire by Michael Ball | WHSmith
Just one problem someone is trying to sabotage who appears in The Empire making it very difficult for Grace to get acts or let the theatre go dark. There's lots going on both on and off stage, in and around the theatre and those whose lives it affects.
From the aftermath of the Great War and the Roaring Twenties to the dark days of the Second World War and the Blitz, Michael Ball's debut fiction series charts the story of the high notes and the low notes of British musical theatre. With whispers of a scandalous cover-up and rivalries that threaten the future of The Empire, tensions rise, along with the curtain.
The Empire: The Empire, Book 1 (Audio Download): Michael Ball The Empire: The Empire, Book 1 (Audio Download): Michael Ball
A banner day for musical theatre fans, as National Treasure and star performer Michael Ball throws his creative energies into his debut novel. By ticking the SMS opt in box and submitting this form, I agree to receive text messages from and about Michael Ball (including prerecorded and/or by autodialer).
As someone who has been a huge fan of Michael’s for many years, I jumped at the chance to read and review an advanced copy of his debut novel. Michael Ball has packed a lot into his story and it’s written with the good-natured and cheerful humour I associate with him. However, after this I settled into the storyline and was captivated by Jack and Grace’s battles to keep the theatre open. The Empire is beautifully portrayed, with the life of an old theatre struggling to rekindle its glory days, and the many characters within it all hoping to hang on to their dreams.
The Empire by Michael Ball | Waterstones
We are taken into the world of theatre where people are transported into a dream world which gives them an escape from day to day reality. The Empire will be a sweeping historical novel that will chart the high notes and the low notes of British musical theatre in all its glamour, greasepaint and glory. This may not be the kind of work that wins the Booker prize, but it is highly entertaining, will undoubtedly sell well and will have members of the Michael Ball fan club in raptures. When Jack Treadwell arrives at The Empire, in the middle of a rehearsal, he is instantly mesmerised. The author’s musical theatre and showbiz background really brings the book to life, and whilst this story is set in a completely different era to what the author is used to, he uses all his knowledge to make the characters and The Empire shine!
Having enjoyed Michael Ball’s singing and presenting skills for many years, I was excited to hear he had written his first novel and I was eager to read it. Plot was a tad predictable and characters a bit one-dimensional but overall it’s a great debut and there will be an eager readership that will love it. Underneath all of this though is the dogged determination of those who do not want to go down without a fight. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
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